To be fair, this is probably a lot of what you saw through your eclipse glasses. It's the way you're supposed to view the eclipse and it works really well. We heard an awful lot about the eclipse this time, and it made a lot of people curious. There were events scheduled across the path of the total eclipse. There were entire cities and towns that did their best to celebrate it. At my age, I always wanted to see one, and this one was only a day trip away.
This is what we all saw just after 3:15 pm. I didn't take this. This comes from NBC News. However, this is what I saw and it was spectacular. My friend Daphne was with me. But, that's not the whole story. What we experienced was crazy.
It's astounding the difference a few minutes makes when there's a solar eclipse. It's like someone flipped a switch and turned the lights out. What is it about nature that makes humans go a little nuts? I don't know but I'm part of it for sure. I went to Iceland in January to see the Northern Lights. I love nature and want to see some of its best shows.
I think the thing that amazed me more than the eclipse itself was the crowds. I can't complain honestly, because we too drove all the way to the Adirondacks to view the eclipse. We intended to go to Ausable Chasm. We left at 9 am. We had five plus hours to get there and it was a 3 and a half hour drive. No worries.
Wow, were we surprised. I want to thank the good people of Schroon Lake for putting up with a lot of crazy out of towners and being super hospitable during the event. It was as far as we could get. It was a total eclipse spot. The locals gave us glasses to look through. They had all the bathrooms open for everyone to use. The were a lot more cheerful than I would have been if that event descended on my little village the way it did theirs. You are a gracious community and thank you.
Along the way before reaching Schroon Lake, we encountered bumper to bumper traffic. We saw several accidents. We saw a lot of break downs. We stopped at gas stations that were out of gas. We stopped at convenience stores that were out of water and most snacks. It was bedlam, and I've never seen the Adirondack region like that in the 30 years plus that I've been traveling there.
After the event, me and my friend decided to give people a chance to clear out of the area and then we thought it would be easier. We were wrong. We tried I-87 with no luck. The traffic was stand still as far as the eye could see. We tried Route 9 with no luck. We actually sat in a small town with three traffic lights for over an hour. Our supposedly 8 hour trip took 14 hours. It was some of the craziest stuff I've ever seen.
So, was it worth it? I discovered a tiny town in the Adirondacks that I'd never been to before. It was a wonderful town full of wonderful people. They welcomed us as though we'd lived there for years. I discovered a place I would like to visit again. I saw an event that I probably won't get another chance to see in my lifetime. I spent the day with a good friend. I had an adventure. It was so worth it.
Life isn't always about the destination. That was supposed to be 60 miles north of where we ended up. Life is about the journey. I believe that. I've always believed that. I always will believe that. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. It wasn't what I'd planned. I think it was better. And the traffic? Well, there were about a half million other people who wanted to have an adventure too. I can't fault them for that.
So, when you get that once in a lifetime chance, take the time to do it. Get behind the wheel and enjoy!
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